1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to zoom lenses suited for use in still cameras, cine cameras, video cameras or the like, and more particularly to zoom lenses having a large zoom ratio with a high relative aperture and a compact form.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
Conventionally, four lens components constituting a zoom lens system, or in the so-called 4-component zoom lens, are arranged as represented by a thin lens system of FIG. 1, so that when zooming, the 2nd component 2 counting from the object side is moved axially to change the image magnification, and the 3rd component 3 is simultaneously moved axially to compensate for the image shift, as is well known to those skilled in the art. As examples of this, mention may be made of those disclosed in Japanese Pat. Nos. Sho 39-6128 and 39-13841, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,847,907. These lens systems each comprise, as has been stated above, the 1st component 1 which remains stationary during zooming, followed by the 2nd component 2 having a strong negative refractive power and axially movable in a large range to effect variation of the image magnification, and the 3rd component 3 of positive or negative power axially movable to effect compensation for the shift of the image plane 5 resulting from the change of the image magnification followed by a positive or negative 4th component 4 by which an image of an object is formed.
With such zooming arrangement, when to increase the relative aperture of that zoom lens, the 1st component 1 is given a positive refractive power, for, as the light bundle is converged, the heights of incidence of light rays on the 2nd through 4th components from the optical axis are lowerd, to thereby facilitate correction of aberrations. In order for the 2nd component to accomplish the image magnification variation, it is effective to give the 2nd component a strong negative refractive power. The conventional zoom lens has the provision of the strong negative power in this or 2nd component and makes use of this component as the variator. It is, therefore, possible to reduce the total axial movement while preserving the large zoom ratio. On the other hand, however, concerning the accuracy to which the 2nd component is positioned, there is a drawback that the tolerance of the design parameters of the operating mechanism therefor becomes severe. A further increase in the refractive power for facilitating achievement of an advance in the compactness results in the need for a more stringent precision accuracy manufacturing technique.
In Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Sho 57-5012, this or 2nd component is shown as remaining stationary during zooming. However, this patent with the specific example of the stationary 2nd component reveals that when zooming from the wide angle to the telephoto position, the image magnification of the 2nd component varies in a range of from -0.468 to -0.782, or from -0.351 to -0.556. This implies that the 2nd component is used in providing a relatively low image magnification. Therefore, the magnificating changing efficiency was poor, giving a low zoom ratio, and the bulk and size of the lens system was not sufficiently reduced.
Also, in Japanese Patent Application No. Sho 39-6128, the 3rd component is made fixed, but the 4th component is made movable axially to effect image shift compensation, and the 5th component is given the image forming function
Since these conventional examples have the zooming provision in the components of strong refractive powers, for a given range is obtained, a lesser total movement suffices, being advantageous at a minimization of the bulk and size. However, the operating mechanism for the very powerful components must be manufactured within a severe precision accuracy. In addition to this disadvantage, when the refractive power of the component is further increased for the purpose of minimizing the bulk and size, a severer accuracy is required. This is valid even in the zoom lenses having an increased number of zoom components, for example, that disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Sho 50-149360.
It is further known to provide a zoom lens in which while the 2nd component is moved axially to effect variation of the image magnification, the 1st and 3rd components are moved axially as a unit to effect image shift compensation. As this type zoom lens mention may be made of those disclosed in Japanese Pat. Nos. Sho 41-13667, 44-14877 and 45-8840 wherein, as has been stated above, the 2nd component axially moving has the image magnification varying function which is heightened by the 1st component when made to axially move in differential relation to the 2nd component, and wherein the 1st and 3rd components are made to move axially as a unit in a non-linear path to maintain the constant position of the image plane, and the following or 4th component of positive or negative power forms an image of an object at the plane.
In such conventional zoom lenses, the 2nd component should have the strong refractive power when the large magnification varying effect can be obtained by a lesser total movement thereof. However, there is a problem that the precision accuracies of control members such as a cam for the 2nd component against the backrush, decentering and the like have to be rigorously restricted. In particular, for an advance in the compactness is achieved, an increase in the refractive power calls for a more rigorous requirement for the precision accuracy of the cam.